Cooling system for the power plants of aircraft



mm. 114 1924., I 1151mm W. L. GILMORE COOLING SYSTEM FOR THE POWER PLANTS OF AIRCRAFT Filed Dec. 8, 1922 Patented ct. 1%, 19d.

WILLI L. GlIill/IORE, OF PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESN 1E AS- SIGNMENTS, TO CURTISS AEROPLANE AND' MOTOR COMPANY, INC., GEN CITY, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COOLING- SYSTEM FOR THE POWER PLANTS OF AIRCRAF'I'.

Application filed December 8, 1922. SeriarNo. 605,733.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. GILMORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Port Washington, in the county of Nassau and State of New York, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Cooling Systems for the Power Plants of Aircraft, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to aeroplanes and more particularly to improvements in the cooling system of the power plants thereof.

An object of the invention is to so organize the parts embodied in the cooling system that the radiator for the power plant is to a large extent protected and at the same time so related to the fuselage or body of the aeroplane as to offer, in and of itself, little or no resistance.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means (preferably in the form of a suction fan) so disposed in its relation to the radiator for the power plant that the air admitted to the fuselage by way of an opening, is directed toward and over the radiator; the size of said opening being variable to regulate the cooling effect.

A still further object of the invention is the mounting of the suction 'fan upon the propeller hub and in advance of both the power plant and the radiator; the air in its I girciplation being successively directed over A cooling system thus characterized is especially desirable in military craft: first, because of the protection afiorded the radiator; second, because of the decreased resistance which the radiator offers in flight; third, because of the ease and simplicity with which the-cooling efl'ect may be regulated; and fourth, because of the ease and convenience of mounting the suction fan directly upon the propeller hub.

Other objects, advantages, and improved results will be hereinafter more fully explained.

Of the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote like or corresponding parts Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the nose end of an aeroplane fuselage showing the relative arrangement of the various parts comprised in the cooling system hereof;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the fuselage or body, taken at a point just forward of the radiator, looking aft;

Figure 3 is a rear end elevation of the suction fan; and,

Figure 4 is an edge View of the fan.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, a tractor biplane of more or less conventional design is shown. It. comprises the usual fuselage or body 10, supporting surfaces or wings 11 (only the upper of which is shown), power plant 12, and tractor propeller 13, the latter being provided with a streamlined conical hub cap 14 as shown. The power plant 12 is preferably in the form of a water-cooled multicylinder internal combustion motor, being mounted, in the usual manner, upon engine bearers (not. shown), enclosed in the nose end of the fuselage or body 10. Behind the power plant, and preferably at a point well forward of the cockpit space (not shown) there is provided a transverse baffle wall 15.

Immediately in front of the bafile wall 15, and in one or more of the side walls of the fuselage or body 10, I provide an opening 16, said opening being so formed within the body as to provide for the admission of air. Just ahead of the opening 16, and likewise extended across the body 10, is the radiator- 17 for the power plant. Said radiator is preferably of the cellular type and provided with the usual water inlet passages 18 and water outlet passages 19, the former being in communication with the upper portion of the radiator and the latter in communication with the radiator base.

In addition to the opening 16 formed in one of the side walls of the fuselage or body 10, an opening 20 is formed in the body at its forward end. Just ahead of the opening 20 and directly fastened to the hub of the propeller 13 I provide a suction fan 21, the blades of which are so disposed as to withdraw from the fuselage the air entering through the opening 16 behind the radiator as well as the power plant.

From the arrangement described, obviously the air entering in advance of the baffie wall 15 through the opening 16 is drawn first through the cells of the radiator and thereafter over and around the power plant to its point of exit at the opening 20 in the extreme nose end of the body 10. The air sired, the flap 24 may be opened wide, or

the opening 16 maybe entirely closed, and since the adjustment of the flap is entirely under the control of the pilot, obviously just the right cooling effect upon the motor may be,easily obtained.

The fan 21 (see Figs. 3 and 4), as ex plained, is directly fastened to the propeller hub. Consequently it is adapted to rotate at the same rate of speed as the propeller.

Being forwardly situated, immediately in advance of the nose opening 20, obviously the air entering the opening 16 is drawn forwardl through the radiator, around the power p ant, and directed outwardly due to the peculiar formation of the blades of the fan.

As hereinbefore explained, a cooling system thus characterized is especially desirable in view of the protection accorded the radiator by reason of its enclosure within the body; is especially desirable in view of the lack of resistance which the radiator per se offers in flight; and is especially desirable in view of the extremely simple and practical means necessary to the regulation of the cooling effect. Moreover, not only is the air in circulation directed over and through the radiator, but over and around the motor and its accessories as well, and since a number of the motor accessories func tion better when cool, obviously higher allaround efliciency is obtained.

While I have described my invention in detail in its present preferred embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art after understanding my invention, that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. I aim in the a pended claims to cover all such modifications and changes.

What I claim is 1. The combination, in an aeroplane,of an enclosed body having an opening formed therein at a point distantly removed from its forward end, a power plant enclosed wlthin said bod forward of said opening, a'radiator for t e power plant likewise enclosed within said body forward of said opening, and suctionjmeans at the forward .end of said body for pulling the air entering said opening in a forward direction over both the radiator'and the power plant.

2. The combination, in an aeroplane, of an enclosed body having an opening formed therein, a power plant enclosed within said body, a radiator for the power plant likewise enclosed within said body, said radiator being disposed aft of the power plant and forward of said opening, and suction means at the forward end of said body and driven by the power plant for pulling the air entering said opening in a forward direction successively over the radiator and the power plant.

3. The combination, in an aeroplane, of an enclosed body having an opening formed therein, a power plant enclosed within said body, a radiator for the power plant likewise enclosed within said body, said radiator being disposed aft of the power plant and forward of said opening, a tractor propeller, and suction means carried by and rotatable with the propeller for pulling the air entering said opening forwardly within thebody whereby it is successively drawn thru the radiator and around the power plant.

. 4. The combination, in an aeroplane, of an enclosed body having an opening formed therein at a point distantly removed from its forward end}, a power plant enclosed within said body forward of said opening, a radiator for the ower plant likewise enclosed within said body forward of said opening, suction means at the forward end of said body for pulling the air entering said opening in a forward direction over both the radiator and the power plant, and means manually operable to regulate the size of the body opening.

5. The combination, in an aeroplane, of an enclosed body having an opening formed therein at a point distantly removed from its forward end, a power plant enclosed withinsaid body forward of said opening, a radiator for the power plant likewise enclosed within said body forward of said opening, a tractor propeller, and suction means carried by and rotatable with the propeller for pulling the air entering said opening thru the forward end of the body, the air in its forward movement bein succesp -sively directed over the radiator an around the power plant.

6. The combination, in an aeroplane, of an enclosed body having an openingformed therein at a point distantly removed from its forward end, a baflie wall extended across the body immediately behind said openin a power plant enclosed within said bod y forward of said opening, a radiator for the power plant-likewise enclosed within said body forward of said opening, and suction means 0 erable at a point in advance of the power p ant for drawing the air thru said winner opening and successively over the radiator and around the power plant.

7. The combination, in an aeroplane, of an enclosed body having an opening formed therein at a point rearwardl removed from its forward end, a ower p ant enclosed in the nose end of the ody, a radiator for the power plant likewise enclosed within said body behind the power plant and forward of said opening, a tractor propeller, and suction means driven by the power plant and operable at a point in advance thereofifor directing the air entering said opening over both the radiator and the power plant, said suction means being carried by and rotatable with said propeller.

8. The combination, in an aeroplane, of

an enclosed body having an open forward end, and an opening in one of its side walls at a point rearwardly removed from said forward end, a power plant enclosed within said body intermediate said openings, a radiator for the power plant likewise enclosed within said bod intermediate of said openings but behind t e power plant, a tractor propeller, and suction means carried by and rotatable with the propeller for drawing the air thru said rear opening, the air thus sucked bein successively passed thru the radiator an around the power plant to a point of discharge thru said forward opening.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afix my signature.

WILLIAM L. GILMORE. 

